Friday, August 18, 2017

2017 Emmy Predictions: Best Variety Series Talk and Sketch, Variety Special and Special Class Program

Best Variety Series - Talk
Will Win - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Should Win - Late Show with Stephen Colbert or Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Could Win - Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Commentary -  This is brewing into an epic three-way battle between the three leading anti-Trump voices in primetime. I am so happy to see Samantha Bee here, and she deserves to win. She is definitely in the running, and is the only female in the lineup which helps on a more populist ballot. Stephen Colbert is finally back in form with this political season, and he could topple the reigning champ. But this category repeats, and John Oliver has once again had a great season. I think that voters stick with him, but this time around, the competition is much tougher.

Best Variety Series - Sketch
Will Win - Saturday Night Live
Could Win - Portlandia
Should Win - Saturday Night Live
Commentary - Let's face it, without some of the other recent winners like Key and Peele and Inside Amy Schumer, Saturday Night Live was already in good standing going into this race. It doesn't hurt that it had one its best seasons in recent memory, buoyed by the political climate and some awesome performances. In this weaker category, SNL is an easy winner.

Best Variety Special
Will Win - Stephen Colbert's Live Election Night Democracy's Series Finale: Who's Going To Clean Up This Sh*t?
Could Win - Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Presents Not the White House Correspondents Dinner or Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special
Should Win -  Stephen Colbert's Live Election Night Democracy's Series Finale: Who's Going To Clean Up This Sh*t?
Commentary - Once again, the political commentators battle it out. Normally Sarah Silverman or Louis C.K. would have a shot, but with politics dominating these variety categories this is between Samantha Bee and Stephen Colbert. In this case, I think Colbert will make a bigger splash. If voters are looking for an alternative, watch out for James Corden's reliably entertaining Carpool Karaoke.

Best Special Class Program
Will Win - The 70th Annual Tony Awards
Could Win - The Oscars or Hairspray Live!
Should Win - Hairspray Live!
Commentary - The Oscars hasn't won here in awhile, and The Tonys have taken two years off. Hairspray Live should be in the running, but it had mixed reaction from a lot of folks (I think they are wrong), and it didn't land as well as Grease and Sweeney Todd did the last two years. I think the Tony's return to the winning circle.

No comments:

Post a Comment